Three simple rules for b2b content marketing success

First a shameless plug for marketer to join us tomorrow, Wednesday August 14, from 9am to 2pm for the Keys to Content Marketing Success virtual summit. There are four webinars throughout the day so come when you can but please come. Free hugs to attendees. (I reserve the right to refuse service to anybody).

Ok, so I have three simple rules for successful b2b content marketing. My hope is that you can read this post in 63 seconds or less. Here they are:

1. No one wants to listen to you talk about yourself

Well, not no one. People that want to hear you talk about yourself will ask to do so and you should present that opportunity to them. Don’t get confused…you still get to market your products to people. Just remember, that isn’t content marketing. Content marketing is the practice of providing the buyer with information they want, when they want it. Step one is understanding what the buyer wants; and step two is giving it to them regularly. That is the very simple formula that will inspire them to come back for more. And I can make a bet with you that the information they want is about them not you. (80-90% of the time).

2. They know when you are pretending to not talk about yourself but you really are

“There is a way to word it where the reader doesn’t know they are being sold.” — VP of Marketing two years ago in a conversation on content marketing.

“No there isn’t. You are either helping or selling — Choose one.” — My answer.

Your buyers aren’t stupid. You aren’t selling timeshares. (Editor’s note: I did this once. I cold-called people to offer them a “free” trip to Tahoe. What they didn’t know was to get the trip, they had to listen to a sales pitch.) Again, focus on delivering real value regularly and you will win. No tricks, no bait and switch. That is content marketing.

3. Content marketing is a platform that supports the entire revenue machine

Content marketing is the foundation for your social media, inbound marketing, demand generation, selling, and customer retention strategies. It’s not just writing blog posts or writing whitepapers. Everything you do across the entire revenue machine is supported by content. Like any business process, you will want to have the following things in a place:

Strategy — Define your buyers and how they buy. Then decide how your organization will approach these buyers.

People — Dedicate a full-time team or resource to the content marketing process. This team interfaces with and delivers content to it’s constituents across the revenue machine from marketing through sales

Process — Develop a process to create quality content on a regular basis.